Landing in my hay field is doable. I have been talking about it for years. I think this is the year. I need to cut some trees and put in a culvert. I have made a call to fern_hopper he is a fire fighter/logger and is looking for a faller for me. Here is what I got so far.

1244' from property lines.


ELE 607' east end


At the 533' mark for take off or landing it is 20' lower than the east end.


At 1071' from the take off at the east end headed west, you have dropped 25-30'. I am going to cut 150' of trees to the property line. The tree tops on the neighbors property will be the same height as the take off point. 500' ground roll, rotate, 734' to the trees.

The east 700' is good for side to side level. West of that is no good! to much side hill.

The math says it works. I have been eyeballing it since 2008. The eyeballs say it will work.



Good day

Get 'er done Rob! Looks perfect! Hey, how big are the trees. I got to play quite a bit with a chainsaw between growing up and getting firewood every summer, the ranch I worked on during high school, and then fire fighting for the BLM. Sounds like a great way to kill an overnight in PDX! Dropping trees can be a lot of fun!

OMaule - You need a "Greg Swingle" out there. Remember that cereal commercial where the kids always let the little brother "Mikey" try it first? When I see a new questionable place, I just call Greg and let him try it. If he gets in and out, I figure I have a better then 50-60% chance of making it ok. Saves all that measuring and calculating.

Maybe you can use that side-hill to your advantage and fun?? Make a bending turn on the slope or dog leg it onto your straight part?

We enjoy this place and it has real slope to it:
http://vimeo.com/17314870

UtahMaule made it into my 400' strip twice, with room to spare. Field elevation of 5400'. 11 to 12% grade. It sure made me a believer of all the Maule hype (ain't hype!). Your strips varying grade, unlike my constant one, is a slight complication but you have plenty of room it would seem.

The big deal, no one has mentioned yet, is the political aspect, for lack of a better term. You have good neighbors? I am blessed with them myself and it sure makes for great relationships in the 'hood, I'd do anything for any of them, and they can do no wrong (their barking dogs, trash dumpsters left all week by the roadside, no problem.....they don't care about my strip so they get a pass on all that!) as long as they're cool with my flying I am real easy to get along with! The farmer below has a well stocked junkyard, and I told him if he needs the crane to haul more in I'll help, better then seeing condos go in!

That looks good to go! Getter done!

Obviously landing east bound is your option, can you make an easy left sweeping turn on landing to go aorund the culvert if need be? At an elevation of 500', it seems like you should get this one today Rob! Wish I was closer.

A landing only counts when you have a picture to show it...

As is, I think it would be a little tight (well, I bet Steve could do it in all directions ). I think clearing out some trees to get the max length and you should be good to go. It WILL get the blood pumping, that's for sure!

O-M,
I have a similar drop in my strip where you show the culvert. How abruptly the ground changes upward again determines where to choose the touch down point. I will touch down either sufficiently ahead of or beyond that low point you have marked for the culvert. Take off for me works either direction and across the low point. I have a hill that rises quickly to about 20' at one end of the strip then drops off as fast with trees near the bottom reaching back up to hilltop height. My total length is a little over 900 with the low spot at the 300 mark from the low end. I don't know how often you will use your strip but be careful, it may sharpen your touchdown target skills to the point of putting some "Swingle" in your walk. Use that power wisely grasshopper.

Let me know and I'll come film it just in case something memorable happens.

HOLD IT ,HOLD IT just a darn minute here!!!!! I have MAJOR concerns.... let me get this straight... You're gonna cut down trees?????? Did you get permits? Did you do an environmental impact study? Did you send registered letters of intent to anyone living within 2 miles of your "PROPOSED" landing strip???? You're gonna put in culverts???? Did you do a water runoff study???? And what about the impact on wildlife in the area... have you given any thought to endangered species that might cross your property while landing or living in your hay field????? Did you do a noise study to determine decibel level while landing and taking off???? Geez Rob, better call your lawyer tomorrow and get started on these things... with any luck you should be able to start in 2016..... That's how it's done here in Kalifornia and I hear Orygun is much more liberal>>>>

Patrol Guy, great idea. If I had a hot shot guy I would try that. Hey wait??? scotnt, want to do me a favor?

courierguy, good thing is I am in farm country, not to many people to piss off. One neighbor has a 180 Cessna and lets me land his grass strip at a different farm. I am not going to make an airstrip, that would be illegal with out the govment fathers permission. Legally I can land in my hay field for fun. I will keep my plane based where it is, Troutdale.

aktahoe1 and grasstripilot, the trees are a little intimidating. The big one in the mix is around 100' several 40' ers, once those are gone I will feel better. Dropping can be fun, but the clean up sucks. I'll give the fire wood away, I got enough. Remember I am an old guy. Old=wise. I know we have guys here who could land it 3 different ways. I could do it now but I don't need more hair to turn gray and fall out.

Matt you are right about the blood pumping! I have done some low passes. When the landing area has no go around on short final and minimal damaging over run. Heart rate shoots to 140BPM

dirtstrip, it has all the qualities you describe in your strip. That is why I have been looking at it so long. I want to be sure I can put the wheels exactly where they need to be! on speed! I can do that now. It will be good practice for back country. Low alt is cheating.

Cheers...Rob

iceman wrote:HOLD IT ,HOLD IT just a darn minute here!!!!! I have MAJOR concerns.... let me get this straight... You're gonna cut down trees?????? Did you get permits? Did you do an environmental impact study? Did you send registered letters of intent to anyone living within 2 miles of your "PROPOSED" landing strip???? You're gonna put in culverts???? Did you do a water runoff study???? And what about the impact on wildlife in the area... have you given any thought to endangered species that might cross your property while landing or living in your hay field????? Did you do a noise study to determine decibel level while landing and taking off???? Geez Rob, better call your lawyer tomorrow and get started on these things... with any luck you should be able to start in 2016..... That's how it's done here in Kalifornia and I hear Orygun is much more liberal>>>>

I heard there is at least one "wild" animal living on the property, too. I think it's a Honey Badger

And you gonna put up a 12' fence around the strip to keep them wild feral dogs off the strip? Hate for them to come after your tail!

a 100 foot tree?????? do you know how old that tree is????? I think we should name that tree and get a Kalifornia Hippy chick to live in it till you give up this environmental nightmare...

I'm going sledding with my boy, more later......honey badger ha ha. 100' tree is a cottonwood, junk tree AH AH AH

OregonMaule wrote:I'm going sledding with my boy, more later......honey badger ha ha. 100' tree is a cottonwood, junk tree AH AH AH

That should be your new name "OregonHoneyBadgerMaule". Nah, too long. How about "OregonBadgerMaule"

OregonMaule wrote:Dropping can be fun, but the clean up sucks.

Same as I was thinking. Have fun Rob, and Happy New Year

Looks to be a nice looking landing strip. Plenty long enuff. What do you take off now? How short is your landing?
Have fun hope to see more pics when you have it completed...

Ken

according to the tree huggers there is no such thing as a junk tree! probably shouldn't have posted your intentions here Rob!!! in any case I consider myself invited to land when you get it done... I mean what could be better than to land in your field and sponge beers off you and a place to sleep and eat....happy new year by the way.....Butch

akflyer2001 wrote:Looks to be a nice looking landing strip. Plenty long enuff. What do you take off now? How short is your landing?
Have fun hope to see more pics when you have it completed... Ken

Hey Ken: I can pop it off the ground in 300-350' at 40-45Mph It doesn't climb great at those speeds. 400-450' 60MPH it leaps of the ground and climbs like a home sick angel.
That is on level ground, I have a down slope.

I can land all day in 400' if I really try, 300' no wind, level ground.

Looks like fern_hopper and I will be dropping some over sized brush when I get back from Palm Desert/Phoenix trip.

Good day...Rob

Congrats Rob, there's nothing like 'making' your home strip work. As PatrolGuy John says you need a Greg Swingle - I have a light Rotax 912 based plane like Greg on 26's, I'll do it when you're done... I'm only 776 gross empty, which makes for 150-200ft ground rolls on takeoff, 100-150 landings.

On my farm strip here it's 12%-15% upslope at it's worst with 500ft into my dining room window (no go around) -so no biggie urs sounds great! Can you doze off the top of the high point on the east side and fill some (shooting for a happy middle ground)? Kind of depends on what your farming and soforth I'm sure....

Looking forward to your updates!
~Brendan

OregonMaule wrote:Looks like fern_hopper and I will be dropping some over sized brush when I get back from Palm Desert/Phoenix trip.

Looking forward to it. Been awhile since I got to kill a tree.